1先知H5030哈巴谷H2265所得H2372的默示H4853。 2他說：耶和華H3068啊！我呼求H7768你，你不應允H8085，要到幾時呢？我因強暴哀求H2199你，你還不拯救H2555。 3你為何使我看見H7200罪孽H205？你為何看H5027著奸惡H5999而不理呢？毀滅H7701和強暴H2555在我面前，又起了H5375爭端H7379和相鬥H4066的事。 4因此律法H8451放鬆H6313，公理H4941也不H5331顯明H3318，惡人H7563圍困H3803義人H6662，所以公理H4941顯然顛倒H6127,H3318。 5耶和華說：你們要向列國H1471中觀看H5027，大大H8539驚奇H8539；因為在你們的時候H3117，我行H6466一件事H6467，雖有人告訴H5608你們，你們總是不信H539。 6我必興起H6965迦勒底人H3778，就是那殘忍H4751暴躁H4116之民H1471，通行H1980遍H4800地H776，佔據H3423那不屬自己的住處H4908。 7他威武H366可畏H3372，判斷H4941和勢力H7613都任意發出H3318。 8他的馬H5483比豹H5246更快H7043，比晚上H6153的豺狼H2061更猛H2300。馬兵H6571踴躍爭先H6335，都從遠方H7350而來H935；他們飛H5774跑H2363如鷹H5404抓食H398，H5404 9都為行強暴H2555而來H935，定住臉面H6440向前H4041，將擄掠的人H7628聚集H622，多如塵沙H2344。 10他們譏誚H7046君王H4428，笑話H4890首領H7336，嗤笑H7832一切保障H4013，築H6651壘H6083攻取H3920。 11他以自己的勢力H3581為神H433，像風H7307猛然掃過H2498,H5674，顯為有罪H816。 12耶和華H3068我的神H430，我的聖者H6918啊，你不是從亙古而有H6924麼？我們必不至死H4191。耶和華H3068啊，你派定H7760他為要刑罰H4941人；磐石H6697啊，你設立H3245他為要懲治H3198人。 13你眼目H5869清潔H2889，不看H7200邪僻，不看H5027奸惡H5999；行詭詐的H898，你為何看H5027著不理呢？惡人H7563吞滅H1104比自己公義H6662的，你為何靜默不語H2790呢？ 14你為何使H6213人H120如海H3220中的魚H1709，又如沒有管轄H4910的爬物H7431呢？ 15他用鉤H2443鉤住H5927，用網H2764捕獲H1641，用拉網H4365聚集H622他們；因此，他歡喜H8055快樂H1523， 16就向網H2764獻祭H2076，向網H4365燒香H6999，因他由此H1992得肥美H8082的分H2506和富裕H1277的食物H3978。 17他豈可屢次倒空H7324網羅H2764，將列國H1471的人時常H8548殺戮H2026，毫不顧惜H2550呢？
Jamieson Fausset Brown Bible Commentary 1 HABAKKUK'S EXPOSTULATION WITH JEHOVAH ON ACCOUNT OF THE PREVALENCE OF INJUSTICE: JEHOVAH SUMMONS ATTENTION TO HIS PURPOSE OF SENDING THE CHALDEANS AS THE AVENGERS. THE PROPHET COMPLAINS, THAT THESE ARE WORSE THAN THOSE ON WHOM VENGEANCE WAS TO BE TAKEN. (Hab. 1:1-17)
burden--the prophetic sentence.
2 violence . . . Why dost thou show me iniquity?--Similar language is used of the Chaldeans (
Hab 1:9,
Hab 1:13), as here is used of the Jews: implying, that as the Jews sinned by violence and injustice, so they should be punished by violence and injustice (
Pro 1:31). Jehoiakim's reign was marked by injustice, treachery, and bloodshed (
Jer 22:3,
Jer 22:13-
Jer 22:17). Therefore the Chaldeans should be sent to deal with him and his nobles according to their dealings with others (
Hab 1:6,
Hab 1:10-
Hab 1:11,
Hab 1:17). Compare Jeremiah's expostulation with Jehovah,
Jer 12:1;
Jer 20:8; and
Job 19:7-
Job 19:8.
3 cause me to behold grievance--MAURER denies that the Hebrew verb is ever active; he translates, "(Wherefore) dost Thou behold (without doing aught to check) grievance?" The context favors English Version.
there are that raise up strife and contention--so CALVIN. But MAURER, not so well, translates, "There is strife, and contention raises itself."
4 Therefore--because Thou dost suffer such crimes to go unpunished.
law is slacked--is chilled. It has no authority and secures no respect.
judgment--justice.
wrong judgment proceedeth--Decisions are given contrary to right.
5 Behold . . . marvellously . . . a work--(Compare
Isa 29:14). Quoted by Paul (
Acts 13:41).
among the heathen--In
Acts 13:41, "ye despisers," from the Septuagint. So the Syriac and Arabic versions; perhaps from a different Hebrew reading. In the English Version reading of Habakkuk, God, in reply to the prophet's expostulation, addresses the Jews as about to be punished, "Behold ye among the heathen (with whom ye deserve to be classed, and by whom ye shall be punished, as despisers; the sense implied, which Paul expresses): learn from them what ye refused to learn from Me!" For "wonder marvellously," Paul, in
Acts 13:41, has, "wonder and perish," which gives the sense, not the literal wording, of the Hebrew, "Wonder, wonder," that is, be overwhelmed in wonder. The despisers are to be given up to their own stupefaction, and so perish. The Israelite unbelievers would not credit the prophecy as to the fearfulness of the destruction to be wrought by the Chaldeans, nor afterwards the deliverance promised from that nation. So analogously, in Paul's day, the Jews would not credit the judgment coming on them by the Romans, nor the salvation proclaimed through Jesus. Thus the same Scripture applied to both.
ye will not believe, though it be told you--that is, ye will not believe now that I foretell it.
6 I raise up--not referring to God's having brought the Chaldeans from their original seats to Babylonia (see on
Isa 23:13), for they had already been upwards of twenty years (since Nabopolassar's era) in political power there; but to His being about now to raise them up as the instruments of God's "work" of judgment on the Jews (
2Chr 36:6). The Hebrew is future, "I will raise up."
bitter--that is, cruel (
Jer 50:42; compare
Judg 18:25, Margin;
1Sam 17:8).
hasty--not passionate, but "impetuous."
7 their judgment and . . . dignity . . . proceed of themselves--that is, they recognize no judge save themselves, and they get for themselves and keep their own "dignity" without needing others' help. It will be vain for the Jews to complain of their tyrannical judgments; for whatever the Chaldeans decree they will do according to their own will, they will not brook anyone attempting to interfere.
8 swifter than the leopards--OPPIAN [Cynegeticks, 3.76], says of the leopard, "It runs most swiftly straight on: you would fancy it was flying through the air."
more fierce--rather, "more keen"; literally, "sharp."
evening wolves--wolves famished with fasting all day and so most keen in attacking the fold under covert of the approaching night (
Jer 5:6;
Zeph 3:3; compare
Gen 49:27). Hence "twilight" is termed in Arabic and Persian "the wolf's tail"; and in French, entre chien et loup.
spread themselves--proudly; as in
Jer 50:11, and
Mal 4:2, it implies strength and vigor. So also the Arabic cognate word [MAURER].
their horsemen . . . come from far--and yet are not wearied by the long journey.
9 all for violence--The sole object of all is not to establish just rights, but to get all they can by violence.
their faces shall sup up as the east wind--that is, they shall, as it were, swallow up all before them; so the horse in
Job 39:24 is said to "swallow the ground with fierceness and rage." MAURER takes it from an Arabic root, "the desire of their faces," that is, the eager desire expressed by their faces. HENDERSON, with SYMMACHUS and Syriac, translates, "the aspect."
as the east wind--the simoon, which spreads devastation wherever it passes (
Isa 27:8). GESENIUS translates, "(is) forwards." The rendering proposed, eastward, as if it referred to the Chaldeans' return home eastward from Judea, laden with spoils, is improbable. Their "gathering the sand" accords with the simoon being meant, as it carries with it whirlwinds of sand collected in the desert.
10 scoff at . . . kings--as unable to resist them.
they shall heap dust, and take it--"they shall heap" earth mounds outside, and so "take every stronghold" (compare
2Sam 20:15;
2Kgs 19:32) [GROTIUS].
11 Then--when elated by his successes.
shall his mind change--He shall lose whatever of reason or moderation ever was in him, with pride.
he shall pass over--all bounds and restraints: his pride preparing the sure way for his destruction (
Pro 16:18). The language is very similar to that describing Nebuchadnezzar's "change" from man's heart (understanding) to that of a beast, because of pride (see on
Dan 4:16;
Dan 4:30-
Dan 4:31;
Dan 4:33-
Dan 4:34). An undesigned coincidence between the two sacred books written independently.
imputing this his power unto his god-- (
Dan 5:4). Sacrilegious arrogance, in ascribing to his idol Bel the glory that belongs to God [CALVIN]. GROTIUS explains, "(saying that) his power is his own as one who is a god to himself" (compare
Hab 1:16, and Dan. 3:1-30). So MAURER, "He shall offend as one to whom his power is his god" (
Job 12:6; see on
Mic 2:1).
12 In opposition to the impious deifying of the Chaldeans power as their god (MAURER, or, as the English Version, their attributing of their successes to their idols), the prophet, in an impassioned address to Jehovah, vindicates His being "from everlasting," as contrasted with the Chaldean so-called "god."
my God, mine Holy One--Habakkuk speaks in the name of his people. God was "the Holy One of Israel," against whom the Chaldean was setting up himself (
Isa 37:23).
we shall not die--Thou, as being our God, wilt not permit the Chaldeans utterly to destroy us. This reading is one of the eighteen called by the Hebrews "the appointment of the scribes"; the Rabbis think that Ezra and his colleagues corrected the old reading, "Thou shalt not die."
thou hast ordained them for judgment--that is, to execute Thy judgments.
for correction--to chastise transgressors (
Isa 10:5-
Isa 10:7). But not that they may deify their own power (
Hab 1:11, for their power is from Thee, and but for a time); nor that they may destroy utterly Thy people. The Hebrew for "mighty God" is Rock (
Deut 32:4). However the world is shaken, or man's faith wavers, God remains unshaken as the Rock of Ages (
Isa 26:4, Margin).
13 purer . . . than to behold evil--without being displeased at it.
canst not look on iniquity--unjust injuries done to Thy people. The prophet checks himself from being carried too far in his expostulatory complaint, by putting before himself honorable sentiments of God.
them that deal treacherously--the Chaldeans, once allies of the Jews, but now their violent oppressors. Compare "treacherous dealers," (
Isa 21:2;
Isa 24:16). Instead of speaking evil against God, he goes to God Himself for the remedy for his perplexity (
Ps 73:11-
Ps 73:17).
devoureth the man that is more righteous--The Chaldean oppresses the Jew, who with all his faults, is better than his oppressor (compare
Ezek 16:51-
Ezek 16:52).
14 And--that is, And so, by suffering oppressors to go unpunished, "Thou makest men as the fishes . . . that have no ruler"; that is, no defender. All may fish in the sea with impunity; so the Chaldeans with impunity afflict Thy people, as these have no longer the God of the theocracy, their King, to defend them. Thou reducest men to such a state of anarchy, by wrong going unpunished, as if there were no God. He compares the world to the sea; men to fishes; Nebuchadnezzar to a fisherman (
Hab 1:15-
Hab 1:17).
15 they take up all of them--all kinds of fishes, that is, men, as captives, and all other prey that comes in their way.
with the angle--that is, the hook. Some they take up as with the hook, one by one; others in shoals, as in a "net" and "drag" or enclosing net.
therefore--because of their successes.
they rejoice--They glory in their crimes because attended with success (compare
Hab 1:11).
16 sacrifice unto their net--that is, their arms, power, and military skill, wherewith they gained their victories; instead of to God. Compare
Hab 1:11, MAURER'S interpretation. They idolize themselves for their own cleverness and might (
Deut 8:17;
Isa 10:13;
Isa 37:24-
Isa 37:25).
by them--by their net and dragnet.
their portion--image from a banquet: the prey which they have gotten.
17 Shall they . . . empty their net?--Shall they be allowed without interruption to enjoy the fruits of their violence?
therefore--seeing that they attribute all their successes to themselves, and not to Thee. The answer to the prophet's question, he by inspiration gives himself in the second chapter.
